


The Wounded

by ThatDamnKennedyKid



Category: VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Australian Shepard!Hongbin, Collie!Taehyung, German Shepard!Wonshik, Great Dane!Sanghyuk, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit!Jimin, Physical Abuse, Rottweiler!Yoongi, Snow Leopard!Jungkook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-07-14 12:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7170209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDamnKennedyKid/pseuds/ThatDamnKennedyKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jungkook hadn't even done anything wrong this time. He hadn't responded to the man who had flirted with him, had kept his head down and hadn't strayed far enough to make the leash go taut, nor close enough to trip his master up. So, how then, he wound up getting a brutal beating in the alley beside the store he didn't know. All he knew was that the man with the pink hair that tenderly picked him up after, soothingly stroking through his hair, was officially his favourite person to exist.</p><p>(Cross-posted from AFF)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Oh, it hurt. 

He didn't know where his master had found the pipe - maybe in the trash piled in the alleyway, somewhere - but he certainly felt it. The first strike with it had been to his arm and only the bunching of his muscles stopped his bones from breaking. The next shot had been a kick to his legs, his ankles, which had brought him down. Another hit with the pipe had broken the bones in his thigh, a third aimed to his ribs.

"You want to be a slut? You want to attract the attention of anyone around you? You want to fuck anyone who will look at you, huh?"

He could only whimper, trying his best to take the battering, his small ears tucked into his hair in fright. His tail was stomped on and the yowl he released seemed to be an invite for more pain. Several more cracks of the pipe, the last to his head making him dizzy and slum, listless, onto the unclean pavement. The game wasn't so fun, it seemed, when he was on the border of consciousness, when he didn't have the wherewithall to do so much as react to the strikes. 

"Then let them have you. You're nothing more than a whore anyway. I'll let you see how much worse this world is than I am. You want to cry rape on me? You have no idea what that feels like. No one is as gentle as I am with my hybrid. But fuck you, your overpriced bitch. I can find a better whore than you anytime I want."

Through the haze of pained tears and the unfocused cascade of his liekly concussion, Jungkook watched the man who had raised him from a kitten walk away from him, throwing the pipe down in disgust. He let himself fall completely boneless, content to let himself die here. 

It felt like ages, but was likely not more than five, ten minutes, before a man came around the side of the building, frantically scanning. He must have noticed Jungkook then, walking over slowly, like a predator. 

 _So this is it._  He thought, idly.  _I'm going to get raped and killed in this alleyway. Wonderful._

"My God, what did he do to you?" The man, who's voice was deep and rich like sweet dark chocolate, knelt down next to him, hands hovering uncertainly, like he didn't know how to touch the smaller man. His hair shone like pink diamond dust in the blur and setting sun. "Can you tell me your name, darling?"

Jungkook went to nod, but his head swam in dizziness and throbbing pain, so he stopped. The man made a distressed noise in the back of his throat and picked up his head and shoulders, pulling him to rest in the crevasse in his shoulder. He picked Jungkook up then, holding him close and whispering careful words, assuring the hybrid that he would be okay now, that he was safe and in good hands, that he would take care of him. 

Jungkook didn't know how much he believed this stranger, but just teh feeling of someone concerned for him in any manner other than how well he could ride them had officially made the pink-haired angel his personal favourite person in existence. 

* * *

Jungkook woke up to ice on his forehead and weighty heaviness on his arm and thigh. 

"No, no, sweetheart, don't move."

He opened his eyes to meet the puppyish face of a Rottweiler with minty green hair. The other hybrid offered a sad smile and looked up.

"Jin-hyung! He's awake!"

A tall man with simple mousy brown hair and a quiet demeanour rushed out of what looked like a nice kitchenette and over to him, eyes flickering all over as he assessed Jungkook's face. 

"Thanks Yoongi. Bring Namjoon to me, please."

The Rottweiler nodded and took off, uncut tail swishing with his walk. 

"Hello, kitten." The mousy man cooed, stroking over his small ears. "My name is Seokjin, but you can call me Jin, okay? I'm a hybrid scientist, a doctor. I'm here to look after you. Can you tell me your name?"

His throat felt like sandpaper. "Jungkook.Jeon Jungkook."

Jin gave him a cutesy smile. "Nice to meet you, Jungkook. Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"Master punished me in an alley beside the grocery store." Jungkook replied. "He had a pipe. It's fuzzy."

"And he left you there?" Jin's brows furrowed, like he was upset by that behaviour. 

"Yes. I wasn't being good enough."

Jin made a repulsed noise with a hissed  _Fucktard_  before he started petting Jungkook again. "Do you know your master's name?"

"No. I was always kept in my own room until he wanted me."

Jin nodded empathetically. "I'm sorry that I took liberties with your unconscious, but it couldn't wait until you were awake. I've cast your arm, because it was fractured, and your leg, which was broken. You have two fractured ribs, so don't do anything stressful or pick up anything over thirty pounds, okay?"

Jungkook went to nod, but his head felt like it would start swimming. "Okay."

Then, from an archway across the room, a semi-familiar head of pink hair appeared, followed by the Rottweiler. The pink haired man was surprisingly tall and broad shouldered, though the way he held himself spoke of a gangle-limbed klutz more than anything. His face melted in relief when his eyes met Jungkook's.

"You're awake." He sighed. 

"Namjoon, this is Jungkook." Jin said. "Jungkook, this is the man that found you, my friend Namjoon."

"Hi." Jungkook said.

"You don't have a collar or tags, so I'm not going to take you to a shelter." Jin said. "Are you okayw ith staying with Namjoon or would you like me to bring you home with me?"

Jungkook looked between the two of them. "Doesn't matter to me."

Jin nodded. "I'll leave you here then. The less moving you do the better."

"Do you want me to get Taehyung, Joonie?" The Rottweiler asked. 

"If you wouldn't mind." Namjoon replied, moving to sit down on the couch and take Jungkook's dainty hand in his. His smile was dorky, but the dimples were kind of nice. Jungkook liked them, it made Namjoon seem soft and kind. 

Jin handed the other man a bottle. "Jungkook, if you feel sharp pain, a persistent ache, dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea, you have to come to Namjoon right awawy, okay?" He turned to Namjoon. "He reports these things, give him two tablets. If they keep up, you can give him another two in five hours. No sooner, alright?"

"Got it."

"I'll be back in a week to check on you and make sure everything's healing properly, but if something goes wrong, you know where to find me." Jin pet Jungkook once more and hugged Namjoon. 

"Thanks, hyung. What do I owe you?"

Jin laughed. "Nothing. A hybrid needed help. What kind of a specialist would I be if I didn't help them? Especially abused ones, like our lovely Jungkook?"

Jin's smile left him feeling warm. The Rottweiler followed Jin out with a shy wave. A few seconds later a Collie came around the corner, his fur golden and white, one ear pointy while the other flopped down. The Collie immediately gave a boxy grin, his sharp canines prominent. Dopey thing looked harmless, though. 

"Hello! I'm Taehyung! I'm glad you're awake. Joonie-hyung was getting worried that we were going to have to take you to the hospital."

Jungkook blinked owlishly, not expecting the Collie to be so loud.

Namjoon laughed, warm and low, making Jungkook tingle. "Sorry about him. I forget that others are deafened by him." He patted his thigh and Taehyung dropped to his knees, laying his head against Namjoon's thigh and nuzzling into the pets he recieved. He watched Jungkook, though, wide eyes dark, but friendly. 

"You two can't play for some time, though. And when I'm at work, you'll have to help him, Tae. Can you do that for me, honey?"

Taehyung nodded. "Of course, hyung."

Namjoon reached up and scratched behind Jungkook's ear. After the initial surprise, though, he closed his eyes and started to purr. "Good boy. Would you like some pills, Jungkook?"

"Yes, please."

"He's so cute!" Taehyung giggled. "I'll go get him water."

"Add in some of your protein powder. He's been out for three days and hasn't eaten."

"I've been unconscious three days?"

Namjoon looked down at his watch. "Two hours short of four."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sleep so long."

Namjoon's dimples came back out and it eased the tight knot in Jungkook's chest. "You don't need to apologize. If anything, I should."

Jungkook tensed. 

"I noticed you in the grocery store and your old owner had an evil look about him. I should have rescued you then, but I decided to follow you through the store and lost you. By the time I decided to leave and check around the building, you were already beaten. I could only pray that you would be okay when I put you in the back of my truck."

He didn't know how to feel about Namjoon's apology. Master had never apologized to him and he didn't know what to think, what to feel in his new owner's prescence. Well, humble almost never fails, does it? "Thank you for helping me, Master."

Namjoon choked. "Master? No, no, kitten. You can call me Namjoon. Probably Namjoon-hyung, since you look young."

"Eighteen." 

"Oh, wow." Taehyung commented, coming back into the room with a glass of water. "You really are a kitten."

"What do I call you?" He asked, looking up at the Collie.

"Just Taehyung's fine. I'm older than you, but that doesn't really matter. We're both with Namjoonie-hyung, so we're like the same now." Taehyung offered another boxy smile and slid an arm under his shoulder, helping him sit up. He handed him the glass of water and Namjoon offered pills. He took both, washing the pills down and polishing off the water. 

"Thank you." He winced, hands going to cup his ribs. 

Namjoon frowned. "We should move him off the couch."

"He could sleep with me in my room?" Taehyung offered. 

"He'll sleep with me and stay in my room until Jin comes back next week. It's got an en suite bathroom and it's big enough for you two to entertain yourselves when I'm gone to work."

Taehyung nodded. "Let's get you up then. C'mon, Kookie."

He startled at the nickname.

Namjoon gave a booming laugh. "Yeah. I like it. Our Kookie. Let's get you settled, Kookie."

* * *

The week was uneventful. Namjoon worked as a producer during the week and was usually home in time for a dinner that Taehyung prepared. The Collie fluttered around the apartment, humming to himself as he cleaned and cooked and then rolled onto his belly beside Jungkook, asking if he wanted to play a board game or a video game or watch a movie, tv, documentary. 

Jin came and beamed, telling him that he was healing fast and properly, like he should. A few more weeks and the cast could come off, even.

"Fast healing like this is common in more wild hybrids." Jin had explained. 

"Wild hybrids?" Taehyung had asked, as if he could read Jungkook's mind and knew he was too shy to ask. 

"Jungkook is a snow leopard hybrid. His animal half is a natural wild animal, unlike you, Taehyung. You're a Collie, which is a domesticated animal."

"Oh." Taehyuung cocked his head and his floppy ear hung like it was disappointed with the answer. 

"His wild factor means that his body is anticipating having to care for itself and therefore heals faster. Nothing either of you can do about it. But you're doing a good job of caring for him, Tae."

"Thanks, Jin-hyung!" Taehyung preened, tail wagging hard. 

Jungkook had come to trust Taehyung quite a bit. He had told the other hybrid about his time in his other home, some of the things that had happened to him, the kind of violence used against him. The Collie had been thoughtful and comforting, laying down on Namjoon's bed and letting his mild scent surround and care for them. If anyone would understand and accept him, another hybrid would be the most likely and Taehyung had soft feelings and a massive heart. Taehyung had held him after he woke up from a nightmare, letting the kitten sob his eyes dry on his shirt, then laying down with him, cuddled close as Jungkook fell into an exhausted afternoon nap. 

They woke up to Namjoon cuddling Jungkook from the other side, large hand buried in the Kookie Monster's hair. 

* * *

Jungkook woke up in the middle of the night, a week before Jin said his casts could come off, looking for water. 

"Joonie-ah!"

Jungkook jumped at Taehyung's voice, startled by the sound. He almost sounded hurt, tinted with surprise. It had come from Taehyung's room. He crept over to the other door, slightly ajar, amd peered inside.

Taehyung was face-down ont he bed, clawing at his sheets and ass in the air. Namjoon was pressed flusht o his back, arms wrapped around his waist. Their intimates were hidden from him, but he would have to be stupid to not know what they were doing. Taehyung had tears streaking his face, whimpering softly. Namjoon was whispering in his ear, but it was unclear what he was saying, only the low baritone of his voice translating over the distance. Taehyung shook under him, expression pulled tight until something snapped and he collapsed with one last low whine. 

Jungkook didn't know what to do. He woke up next to Namjoon every morning and the man had taken such gentle care of him when he was home. He had been nothing but caring and attentive. But now . . . now he was doing the same thing to Taehyung that Jungkook's old master had done to him. His hips ached with just the memory of the violence of those encounters, how he'd stifled every cry of pain just like Taehyung had been. He couldn't go backt o Namjoon's bedroom and wait for him there, likely to take his turn soon on his mostly-healed body and he coudln't hide with Taehyung, where Namjoon currently was. So he did the only other thing he could think of.

He grabbed Namjoon's cell phone from the bedside table and called Jin.

* * *

Jin didn't ask any questions and was there in a couple of minutes, Yoongi in the backseat with a blanket and a bottle of Powerade. He crawled in the back of the car with Yoongi, who wrapped him up and pulled him into his arms. 

Jin pulled away, reaching a hand back to take Jungkook's. "Are you okay, Jungkook?"

He was shaking hard, the truth of what he'd seen settling into his head. He'd run from one terrible master to another. 

"He was raping Taehyung." He whispered. 

"What?" Jin asked, not habing heard. 

"Nam and Tae were going at it." Yoongi voiced, louder. He made the other hybrid look him in the eye. "Tell me exactly what you seen."

"Taehyung was on his stomach and Namjoon was on top of him. Taehyung was crying and, and-"

"Shh." Yoongi soothed. "We're going to take you home with us tonight and you'll sleep with Jimin and I."

"Jimin?"

"He's a rabbit hybrid." Yoongi explained. "A rescue, like you. Okay? We'll all cuddle together and sleep until noon."

Jungkook burrowed into Yoongi's embrace. "Okay."

* * *

Jungkook woke up to the sound of arguing, the black bunny, Jimin, laying half on top of him, but Yoongi gone. In his place was the man who adopted Jimin, Hoseok, who was stroking down Jimin's ears in a half-sleep daze wiht his eyes closed. 

"-can't just do things like that!"

"I'm so sorry, Jin-hyung. It's my fault." That sounded like Taehyung. "I'm in my cycle. I needed him."

"The worst thing you could have done is hid the fact you're in a relationshp with each other. Yoongi  _told_  you he's been sexually abused most of his life when we left him with you originally. Plus, you're a mess in cycle, Taehyung. Your crying frightened him into calling me because he thought Namjoon was hurting you."

"Oh no!" Taehyung whined. "Can I go see him? I'll explain everything, I promise."

"When you're done, bring him out here. We all need to talk, I think." That was Yoongi, who sounded less than impressed with the situation.

A few moments later and the door cracked open, Taehyung's face appearing. His face lit up in a smile as soon as he spotted the youngest hybrid. He slid into the room, careful not to rouse Jimin or Hoseok.

"Hey, kitten. How are you doing?"

Jungkook only blinked at him and he deflated. Taehyung smelt really good, sweet almost. Sugary.

"I'm so sorry. I should have told you. Namjoon told me it was up to me whether or not I wanted to say it." He took a deep breath. "Namjoon and I are in a relationship. We're lovers. We're a couple. We love each other."

Jungkook shifted, inclining his head in Taehyung's direction and he took the opportunity to stroke through his hair, playing with the fur at the base of his ear. "Then why were you crying?"

Taehyung laid down next to him and nuzzled into his neck. "I have fertility cycles, four times a year, at the beginning of each season. I get unbearably horny and get the desire to be filled with pups. Namjoon satisfies me. But when I'm in cycle, my body is very sensitive and Namjoon is more attentive than normal. The overload of sensations - pleasurable, good sensations - has no other outlet, so I cry. It's nothing bad, or because Namjoon is hurting me."

"Will he . . . Will he touch me like he does you?"

"Not unless you want him to." Taehyung said, stroking over his cheek. "If you have a cycle and you're not comfortable with Joonie, I'll help you."

Hoseok made a noise and Jimin rolled over, pressing his face into the muscular planes of the man's chest. Jungkook sat up and so did Taehyung. The Collie pulled the younger to his chest, ears down and nuzzling into the hair between his ears. 

"I'm so sorry I scared you, Jungkook. I promise it won't happen again. I'll warn you when my next cycle hits so you know when Namjoon and I will be . . . intimate, okay? Will you come out and see Namjoon?"

"If you're with me."

"Absolutely. I won't let anything bad happen to you, Kookie."

Jungkook snuffled at the nickname, pressing a nervous kiss to Taehyung's collarbone. The Collie kissed his head in return and his heart didn't feel quite as heavy.

"I'm sorry for running away."

"I'm just glad that you ran to Jin-hyung, that you ran to more safety instead of danger." Taehyung pulled back and kissed his forehead, then his nose. "Come on. We need to speak to Namjoon."

Jungkook followed Taehyung out to the living room, where Jin and Yoongi were seated on the couch. At Taehyung's appearance, Namjoon stood up. 

"Is he okay?" His voice was thickened with worry and that made Jungkook feel a little better about facing him.

"See for yourself." Taehyung pulled Jungkook around, patting his lower back. The Collie then stepped back.

Namjoon approached him slowly, cautiously, then pulled the snow leopard into his arms, his chest collapsing in relief. "Oh, Kookie Monster, was so scared. Taehyung's cycle finished around six in the morning and when I went to check on you, you were gone. We checked everywhere in the apartment, but you weren't anywhere. I was so afraid that you'd ran off, gotten hurt somewhere I wouldn't be able to get to you this time. I'm so happy you're safe."

Jungkook wanted to cry. Hours of tossing in fear of this man and for nothing. Even if Namjoon was only half as sincere as he appeared to be, Jungkook would be safe with him, cared for and attended to. Loved. He threw his arms around Namjoon's neck and started to bawl. Namjoon hoisted him into his arms and sat them down back in the armchair, petting down the leopard's back as the young hybrid cried. 

"I-I'm so s-s-orry, hyung. I didn-n't mean to scare you." Jungkook sobbed, melting into the man even as his body contracted to heave out more sobs. 

"You're so precious to me, Kookie. So precious. I can't tell you how happy I am that you're safe and okay. I didn't mean to scare you and I hope you're willing to give me a second chance. Do you want to come home with me, Kookie?"

He nodded rapidly, rubbing his cheek onto Namjoon's and purring as loudly as possible. 

Yoongi patted Jungkook's shoulder. "If you're unsure about somethign again, talkt o them. If you're still uncomfortable, give me a call, okay?"

HIs purring got louder.

Jin laughed, shaking his head. "Taehyung, get the door for them, will you? Doesn't look like Jungkook is going to let him go."

Taehyung giggled. "I didn't when he rescued me, either."

* * *

That night, Jungkook wouldn't let Namjoon go. He'd cried himself to sleep for the ride back to their apartment, quiet and cuddly when he woke up again. Theyw ould up ordering in, shacked up in Namjoon's room playing Mario Kart, which Jungkook was stupidly good at. Namjoon was braced against the backboard, Jungkook in his arms and Taehyung laying on his stomach beside them. 

Jungkook was giggling as he knocked Taehyung aside. 

"Hey! Cheater!"

Jungkook stuck out his tongue. "You're just angry you're not as good."

"Slander!" Taehyung dropped the controller and jumped Kookie, tickling him mercilessly. They decended into squeals on top of Namjoon, who wound up being the king and tickling both of them with his absurdly large hands, reducing them to squirmy puddles in his arms. 

"Are my pets ready to calm down again, hmm?" Namjoon teased, finally releasing them from their torment and running his fingers through their hair, reaching down to play with their tails. 

"Truce to finish the game?" Kookie offered.

"Truce." Taehyung accepted.

* * *

Jungkook didn't call Jin or Yoongi again.His castings came off two weeks after the incident and he started to properly play with Taehyung, rolling on the floor withhim and curling up and around Namjoon's legs when he was making dinner (which would usually be sandwiches unless JIn-hyung was over for a visit or Taehyung was cooking). As the months passed, he felt more and more drawn to teh ocuple he was living with. When his cycle came around (only twice a year for him and very brief), he had been delerious but honest enough to ask for both of them to take care of him. They had decided Taehyung would take him while Namjoon occupied his mouth and ravaged him, careful hand on his throat as they fiercely kissed.

Jungkook came to swiftly love his new little family, got to know Jin and Yoongi better and made friends with Jimin and his adopter, Hoseok, who were a friendly and hyperative couple. 

"Jimin has a monthy cycle that's four days long." Taehyung had explained to him. "That's why he was given up. His owners couldn't keep up with him. Rabbit and all that."

Jungkook had been very thankful then that his cycles were so distanced and short. Though it was very interesting when Jungkook and Taehyung's cycles synced. 

Namjoon had brought them to the mall that day, wanting Jungkook to get a proper and full wardrobe instead of stealing Taehyung's clothes all the time, especially since summer was coming and Taehyung's clothing would slide off Jungkook's smaller body. 

"Hey! You three!"

They stopped, turning. As soon as Jungkook laid eyes on the approaching man, his ears folded back and he tucked himself behind Namjoon's large and gangly frame. 

"You talking to us?" Namjoon asked, hands in his pockets. 

"Yeah. I came back looking for my hybrid and he was gone. You're the one that stole him?"

"I found him with broken bones in a back alley thanks to you. But if you want to call that stealing, you're more than welcome."

The man bristled. "Give him back to me."

Namjoon regarded him with a steady gaze. "Absolutely not."

"How much do you want for hinm, then?"

"I'm not giving him back to you."

"I'll take him back, then."

Namjoon inclined his head. "You're welcome to try."

Jungkook whimpered from behind his hyung. He didn't want him hurt."

The man stepped forward, swinging. Taehyung intercepted the strike, throwing the man to the ground and barking, thick growls and snarls issuing form him that had people stopping to look. His whole body was tense and angry, protective. 

"You didn't have to." Namjoon said, pulling Taehyung close to him again. 

"I can't help it." Taehyung growled out, snapping his jaws in the man's direction.

"I know, baby. I appreciate it."

"What the fuck kind of zoo are you trying to run?' The man yelled.

Namjoon's hand on his neck was the only reason Taehyung didn't lunge again, this time, fangs barred. "I seen two tours in Afghanistan as an attack dog. I'd watch my fucking mouth if I were you."

Namjoon pulled Jungkook up to his side, a protective arm around his shoulders. "Do you want to go back with him?"

Jungkook flexed his claws, steeling the part of him that wanted to submissively lower his head and just tank the abuse, not put Namjoon and Taehyung through his spectacle. The other half of him, the part that craved his new family more than the ability to breathe, was stronger. "Go fuck yourself."

The man looked like he'd been slapped, stunned at Jungkook's brazen rebuttal. "I'll get you yet, you ungrateful whore."

Namjoon made a considering noise in the back of his throat. "He's a very considerate lover, actually."

Taehyung snarled again. "Come at either one of us with a pipe and I'll teach you a lesson in close-combat urban warfare, you ugly fuckoff prick."

Namjoon quietly led them away after that, guiding them into a hybrid-specific store, grabbing the closest swimsuit and asking for the largest changeroom. Once safely hidden away, Namjoon and Taehyung were hovering over him. 

"Are you okay?" Namjoon asked. 

"I really will kill him if I see him again." Taehyung promised. Namjoon  _tsk_ ed. "What? I'm  _not_  sorry. I'll end his miserable life without a second thought. He hurt my Kookie."

Jungkook hugged them both. "I'm okay. Better than okay. I've got you two."

They took their turns kissing the maknae.

"But I can't wear that swimsuit. Joonie, it's yellow."


	2. The Abandoned (Prequel)

"He's not recovering, is he?"

The minty Rottweiler glanced to his right, taking in the man sitting at the desk. 

"No, he's not."

The doctor sighed, standing and moving to stand next to him, gazing through the glass. Seated in a sound-minimalizing room was a sable Collie. Still littered with shallow and healing wounds from the IED, the poor hybrid rocked himself back and forth, twitching hard every now and again as if hearing something he didn't. He had looked miserable from the moment they broguht him in, shivering like a leaf and quick to bar his teeth at any little noise. One intern had dropped a teacup and the Collie had almost started to mutilate himself to escape his cage in fear. 

"He's getting worse, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Jin-"

The doctor sighed, cutting him off. He dropped back down onto his chair, swivelling to scrawl his signature across a document. "I'm still not comfortable with this, Yoongi, but you know that. You really think spending physical time with him will help calm his instincts? I mean, he's been on tour for nearly seven years."

"I really do, Jin. If nothing else, going in there will get him to  _change_ , be that for better or worse. But we need to see something or else we'll just find him dead in there one day, hung from his sweatpants."

Jin winced. "Do you really think he'd do it?"

Yoongi ran a hand through his hair, the gesture sticking with him even though he hadn't been a streetfighter in years. "Of course he would. Just going into service means he was already willing to give up his life. He's a Collie - hardwired to take care of others. If he did something and thought he might be a danger to others or that he couldn't recover, he'd have no second thoughts on taking his own life. No different than I was in the cage fights."

Jin nodded slowly, still looking troubled. He pushed the document towards the Rottweiler regardless. "Just . . . make sure to stay safe, okay?"

Yoongi gave him a small smile and ran the back of his knuckles - rough with scarring, even so old - across Jin's cheekbone. "I always am."

* * *

This room was nice, he thought. There was very little noise, but not  _silence_. He could hear himself move, his own breaths, the rubber squeal of his shoe soles and the shuffling of his pants. HIs shirt was across the room. The collar was too high - suffocating. 

The door, normally only opened for a quiet elderly lady to give him his food, let in a small man. Apologies, a  _hybrid_. He was a Rottweiler runt with dyed mint hair. His skin was pale and looked soft, like marshmallows. He didn't smile, didn't try to reassure. He just walked in, closed the door and sat down in the middle of the room. 

"I'm Yoongi." The Rottweiler said, voice flat and straightforward. "Min Yoongi. I work here as a kind of therapist - a rehabilitation officer. I've been overseeing you and making the decisions about where you'll be kept and how you'll be cared for. I'm the reason you're in a reduced noise environment. And the last thing I want to see is your suicide."

He flinched, hard. Mostly because he knew the fear was warranted. It is very hard to recover from getting knocked unconscious by your best friend's disembodied arm. Very hard. 

"You've been in units where no one but you survived." Again, flat and monotone - like a mission report. "That means the only person who knows what really happened is you. You don't want to talk. And that's completely fair." A suprising but not unwelcome development. "So I'll tell you about me until you're ready to tell me about you. Sound good?"

He nodded. 

"Okay, Taehyung." He took a deep breath, settling his shoulders and bracing himself. "I was born inside a lab. My parents were breeders and I was the only runt that year. A rich lady wanted me and bought me before I was even born. She wanted me slim and soft and with an uncut tail. That was very important to her. So, after maturing enough to be away from my mother, Iw as given to this lady. She was old, but like dme a lot and took okay care of me. When she died, she left everything she had to a charity, meaning I was without a home and without  _money_. I was picked up from a streetcorner by another old perv who wanted my cycle. I only have one week-log cycle once a year, which is deceptively mild. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I would up fighting him off and caught the eye of another rich asshole. He decided that my talents weren't partial to the bedroom, but the ring."

The Collie was sitting straighter, not hidden so much inside the protective tangle of his lengthy limbs. His ears, too, were perked and his attention fully devoted. "What kind of ring?"

"A fighting ring." Yoongi casually reached up and scratched at his itchy ear. "Rottweilers are pretty infamous for being vicious fighters and he thought that I would make a nice underdog bet. You know, being a fierce little runt and all that. He would make money on me hand over fist. Fighting's illegal, as you know, so he never stayed in one place very long, making sure that no one had a chance to know my face and learn to bet on me. Long story short, there was a raid on the place we were in somewhere in the Washington DC underground. He was arrested and I was brought to a shitty care centre. They brought in a specialist - a combination of MD and vet specifically for hybrids - and he was so appalled with my care that he fostered me and rehabilitated me in his own house."

Taehyung let the pause drag on, but it eventually became clear that Yoongi was done talking. "What was his name?"

"Kim Seokjin." The Rottweiler said the name with a meaningful look and a purposeful inclination of his head. "The very same one looking after you right now."

Taehyung's eyes widened in surprise, then he looked down in shame. "I'm not being very good, am I? I'm sorry. I can't help it. Does my record tell you that I signed up for service as soon as I passed into adulthood?"

That gave the Rottweiler pause. "No. Your masters let you?"

Taehyung shook his head. "My parents were adopted from a lab, but when they were old enough, their masters set them free. They got married under the protections laws and when they had me, I was born free too. I joined right after I finished being a pup. They put me immediately into a hybrid special unit. There were four of us - hybrids, that is. Hongbin, Wonshik and Sanghyuk were all German Shepards, the preferred breed. But I was such a good tracker and I had much stronger protective instincts from being a herder. We each had four human counterparts, thirty to a squad." Taehyung sighed, but didn't drop eye contact or fall into a recessive drop. "I seemed to have extraordinarily bad luck. So many times, I had to jump in front of my squad mates to save them from IEDs or gunfire. I've got scars all over my torso from the bulletwounds. I thought I was getting better at handling it, but I guess I just go numb before I hit my threshold, you know?"

Yoongi nodded. He did, indeed, understand. 

He gave a thick sigh, full of disappointment, of all things. "Did they tell you what sent me here?"

"No. I don't have access to any of your mission records, only your health ones."

"I spotted a half-assed IED sitting half-buried in the sand. Naturally, I ran ahead of the caravan and started to dig it up. I'm supposed to. I'm a  _bomb disposal dog_. You know, I've had bombs blow up in my face before. I've had them set on fire, blow apart comrades, do nothing, fire off in thousands of directions. This one, in particular, hit its timer and just made a little  _phut_  noise. The mechanism to detonate the C4 was salvaged off a previous exploded IED, barely intact." Taehyung sighed, curling in on himself again, laying his head on his arms and looking even smaller for it. "It just made a little noise before dying and I lost it."

Yoongi didn't exactly want to press, because this fragile honesty could shatter any second, but he had to try. It would help Taehyung in the long run to express it. "What did you do?"

"Apparently, I threw the bomb into the wasteland away from the road. When my keeper came up to me, I was growling and foaming at the mouth I started to claw at him, but when that didn't work, I tried to pull his jacket out of the way to bite out his throat. Wonshik stopped me, barking really loudly. It sent me skittering and I climbed on top of one of the trucks. Hongbin managed to get up there with me and restrain me while Wonshik got my rifle. The other keepers tranqed me and I woke up in an infirmary with Hongbin sitting next to me. He told me what I did. He moved his chair and the squeal of the legs on the tile made me jump and break out into a cold sweat. I scrambled off the bed and took off. I don't know if I ever had a destination in mind, but I wound up at the gates of the base before they caught me. So much noise . . . I couldn't handle it all. I needed to get away from everything and everyone. It felt like the whole world was trying to crawl inside me and push me out until I burst open."

"Do you feel like that now?"

Taehyung answered immediately, like he had considered the answer for long before Yoongi had ever approached him. "I like it in this room. I am safe here and it is quiet. I'm . . . I'm afraid to leave it. I know I scared that nurse really badly and that's not right. I should be able to handle people dropping things without having a mental break."

Yoongi sat back, leaning on his hands. "After I came out of the ring, I was in a coffee shop with Jin. He wanted me to try some pastry. This guy behind us in line kept nudging me. Made me twitch. He kept up for almost five minutes, but I hit my limit of restraint. I swung around and sent him flying. He smashed right through the glass, ass over teacups fight into Jin's car. Only Jin's arms around my shoulders pushed away the red mist and stopped me from lunging at him, to beat him to death like I had been for almost six years."

"I had people who cared for me who I  _attacked_. If I wouldn't calm down for them, I won't calm down for anyone."

Yoongi shrugged. "They are all soldiers. I think you need someone who doesn't know what its like to live that life, who can be aware of things like noise and exposure."

" . . . I don't understand."

"I want to talk with you a little bit everyday." An idea occurred to him. "We'll have lunch. And we'll chat. How does that sound? You call tell me all about you, from beginning to end, and I'll tell you anything you want to know about me."

Slowly, Taehyung nodded. "Okay. Maybe, um, if it's okay? Can I meet Seokjin?"

Yoongi broke into his first smile of the evening. "Yeah. I'll bring him in to see you tomorrow for lunch. Sound good?"

* * *

"I don't know." Jin was biting his nail worriedly. "We only just got him to talk, to exercise again. Do you really think another person is a good move? Not too fast?"

"Namjoon isn't just anybody, Jinnie."

"Well . . . "

"Just- You brought me into this because you thought I would be the only psychiatrist able to help him. And you're probably right. So let me do what I think is best, a'ight?"

Jin sighed, resigned once more. "Okay. But  _warn_  him first."

"Don't be stupid. Of course I will."

* * *

"Yoongi, can I ask you a personal question?"

Yoongi didn't even look up from the rice. "'Course. I told you to ask whatever."

"This is a really personal question, though."

"Shoot."

"When did you and Jin-hyung become lovers?"

That gave him pause. "That obvious, huh?"

"Well, not really. It's just- You talk without talking so much. It's kind of wonderful to watch the two of you. You both care for each other so much."

"He was my friend before anything else." Yoongi admitted. "I wouldn't have trusted him to help my body any other way. It came with my cycle. I just couldn't stop thinking about him. I wanted him so much it ached. When it came around the next year, I didn't even think twice about asking him for help. He nearly passed out he was so surprised. After that, we just didn't stop. I know I love him and I know he loves me. I'm not the first hybrid he's fostered. I am the first one he adopted. He also gave me citizenship, which he didn't have to. I knew I would stay with him forever after the coffee shop incident and how gentle he was about it."

* * *

Namjoon was less nervous than Jin thought he should be, coming here to meet a total stranger. He watched anxiously from the window when Yoongi told Taehyung he was bringing in the guest. 

Namjoon immediately tripped when he entered the room. 

Yoongi facepalmed desperately hard, but Taehyung rushed over to help, asking if he was alright between contained giggles. When Namjoon smiled and complimented his tail, Taehyung broke out into full on hysterics, giggling like mad and immediately latching onto the producer the way he had only done to Yoongi so far. There was a lot of care and gentle patience in the way that Namjoon treated Taehyung and despite the Collie not noticing it, he seemed to instinctually pick up on it, using Namjoon's presence as a safe haven. Yoongi left them soon after under the pretense of work. Instead, he just joined Jin to watch them from the observation room. 

"What do you think will happen?" Jin asked, gnawing on his nail again. 

"With any luck, Taehyung will latch onto Namjoon and he can be fostered out to him. They'll be good for each other - Namjoon needs some noise in the apartment that's not just him breaking things and Taehyung needs his silence. I told Namjoon to come for lunch here from now on."

"Did you tell Joonie that you want him to foster Tae?"

"Of course. I'm not stupid. He needs to know shit like that."

"It's just . . . You sound like you're setting them up on a blind date."

"I guess. They're kinda similar."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

Yoongi scowled, serious this time. "Trust me already!"

"I do, but neither of u have ever dealt with anything as strong and potentially volatile as Taehyung before. I get that you were a fighter, but he's a  _soldier_ , GiGi. He's a trained killer, you weren't."

Yoongi looked back at Taehyung, tail wagging as Namjoon spoke about his friend Hoseok trying to teach him how to dance and the catastrophe that followed. The pink-haired man was getting animated, his dimples showing just how much he enjoyed having someone laugh at his clumsiness without being mean. "I know exactly what it means to kill, to feel like you're watchng yourself move as you end someone's life or break their limbs. Taehyung might be a soldier and a more skilled killer, but the problem is still the same. I still jump when someone touches my ears or tail. He'll never be the same, but he can be happy with how he's changed. Namjoon's gonna help me do that with him. Make one more comment about me not knowing how to do my job and I'll have you removed as doctor. He's perfectly healthy, physically, anyways."

"Okay, okay. No need to threaten. I'm here for you just as much as him."

Yoongi sighed, leaning into his lover. "I know."

* * *

"You still haven't told me what you actually do, Joonie-hyung." Taehyung said, rolled onto his back, tail lazily passing over the floor. Namjoon was sitting cross-legged near his head, one finger prodding at the tip of his floppy ear. 

"No?" Namjoon smiled, slouching a bit more and shifting his legs to make sure they didn't go numb. "I'm a producer and mixer for a record label."

"Really? What do you do, exactly?"

"I do a lot of songwriting and sound mixing, which means I make the music behind the vocals. Most of the time I make ten or so mixes of a song and the artist or their company decides which one will work best. From there, I add finishing touches to match the artist's vocals and submit it for release."

"Wow." Taehyung's eyes were wide with wonder. "So much work that no one gets to hear. What a shame."

The producer shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I keep all the mixes. I've had companies come back to me asking for them occasionally when they want to re-release a special album and want a few little extras without having to pay too much for them. Sometimes, if I really like a beat the company doesn't, I keep it and use it for another song, which it usually works better for anyway."

"Sounds to me like you really love your job."

"I do. I wouldn't do it if I didn't." Namjoon stretched and layed himself down next to Taehyung, their faces level even as Taehyung moved to curl himself over the other's head. "You know, I'm one of the smartest people in the country."

"What do you mean?"

"When I graduated high school, I was in the top one percent of the nation's testing index. Teachers and school board officals told me I was a genius and what kind of a brilliant doctor or engineer I would be. Something to apply my intelligence to."

The Collie's face scrunched up. "Sounds boring."

That broke a laugh free from the other man. "Glad to find someone who actually agrees with me. I've known Jin a long time and he was one of the people pushing me to go somewhere big like that. I used to tell him all the time that he should be a singer. He's the kind of handsome companies fall over themselves for and he's got a good voice for it. And look where we wound up - I'm in the music industry and he's working as a doctor. Life's a little strange, isn't it?"

The Collie sighed through his nose, ear twitching. "I grew up on a farm, raised by my grandmother. She had adopted both of my parents as young dogs from their originating lab, but she was entirely human. When they had me, they didn't have the money to take care of me and sent me to live with her in my pup years. I used to chase sheep and geese and chickens all over the place. My grandmother liked watching me run around. She always told me I was the most beautiful puppy she'd ever laid eyes on. She wanted me to go to the big city, to become a model. My parents bought me the most wonderful jacket - beautiful brown leather embroidered with beaded black leather strings - as a going away preset when I left. I think I still have it, actually, somewhere in my luggage. Anyway, I did, for a little bit. I was taken on by a couple of companies to become the face for their male ad campaigns and played as a cute model for ads with girls playing around in them. My grandmother was so proud and told me I was even more beautiful with each passing year, but she didn't like that I'd lost weight doing them, that they wanted me skinny. I called her one night, very conflicted when they wanted to dye my fur. I never minded dying my hair, but my fur . . . I declined afterwards and told her I wanted to join the military. I went home to her for a couple of months. I never stopped thinking about it, so she told me to go. I was only eighteen at the time."

Namjoon just nodded, attention raptly fastened on the Collie. His floppy ear fell straight as he shifted. 

"When I got there, they gave me a few options on how to navigate my position in the army. I chose to become an defusal dog over regular infantry. It was my job to sniff out bombs, weapons and IED supplies. I thought for the first month or so that I was going to die - the smells were awful, even worse than the pollution in the city, and my nose burned so bad my eyes were watering constantly. Not a good mix with a constrained water supply in a desert deployment. Apparently, though, I was still really good at my job. I sniffed out things that the actual dogs never noticed and had the added benefit of herding my unit away from danger. Eventually, I trained as an attack dog as well. I carried rifles and pistols and knives, but mostly my fighting was with fists and teeth." He gave a breathy little laugh. "Most of the muscle mass I had then has melted away now, so I'm not very impressive. I would definitely need retraining if they were going to let me back in." HIs expression broke and he looked away, eyelids fluttering in despair. "But they aren't."

"Sounds to me like you were one hell of an asset. Why wouldn't you go back?"

"Medical discharge. I'm done. My military career is over forever."

"A little weight loss is not that big a deal-"

"I snapped." Taehyung's low voice was weak with upset. "I snapped and tried to kill four members of my unit. The other two dogs, Wonshik and Hongbin, almost died once I was done. Only Taekwoon, the squad commander, and Hakyeon, his lieutenant, were able to restrain me. I was foaming at the mouth and screaming, apparently. I don't remember, just that I woke up, restrained, in the hospital next to Wonshik and Hongbin. They tried to console me, to tell me they weren't mad and that they understood, I know it's unforgiveable. I broke Hongbin's arm in two places and punctured one of Wonshik's lungs when I snapped a rib. Needless to say, the doctors deemed me unstable and had me sent here once I was stable enough to travel. Even that didn't work out well. Any small noise made me startle and rattling or clashing metal made me black out. I did that here, not too long ago, to a nurse. She dropped a tray and I lost my mind. When I woke up, I was in here, covered in bruises and throbbing from where I'd thrown myself at the bars and walls. Not to mention the blood in my mouth from trying to bite through the metal to attack her. I haven't seen Miss Bora since, but I feel awful. I asked Yoongi-hyung to apologise and he said she forgave me, but I don't know if he would say that just to comfort me."

Namjoon reached out a hand, stroking through his hair. "You're a very strong puppy, Taehyung. To go so long in service, purposefully putting yourself in harm's way to save your unit and other units . . . I can't imagine doing something like that. You can't be so hard on yourself. I'm not saying that the things that happened were  _right_ , but no one is dead and you're the only one not on your way to recovery."

Taehyung closed his eyes. "I don't know. I have a communications ban on me. I can't talk to anyone from the old unit."

The pain in his heart amplified and he sat up, taking Taehyung by surprise when he pulled the surprisingly light Collie onto his lap, holding him close and pressing his face into his shirt. "Tae, it is what it is. I don't know what I can do to help, but I'm right here. Whenever you need me, however you need me. I'll give you anything that I can - time, patience, love, acceptance, hugs."

Taehyung sniffled. "You don't know me that well. You've only been coming here a couple of months."

"People know each other for years and learn something new every time they see them. I don't need to know someone for more than a few seconds to know when they need help." Namjoon cupped the Collie's jaw and tilted his head up. The angle let him see the tears building behind the black-brown of the puppy's eyes and the slow bob of his Adam's apple as he tried to maintain control of himself. "You know, there is a reason Yoongi brought me here. He's one of my best friends and he's deeply affected by his job. He wants nothing but happiness for his charges, to see you get better, be happy and feel safe inside your own body again. Do you trust his judgement?"

Slowly, as to not dislodge the palm warm on his cheek, the Collie nodded. 

He pressed their foreheads together. "Do you trust me?"

There was a little whimper, lips parted as if to answer but no sound emerging. He just nodded again. 

"I've known Yoongi since Seokjin adopted him, so he's no mystery to me anymore. He wants me to take care of you, to adopt you and give you a home. He thought that I would be the best one to help you. Despite all that, you are still very much free. If he gave me the papers to take you home, would you want to come with me?"

" . . . I'm scared."

Namjoon tightened the arm around his back. "Of what?"

"Of leaving here. It's not hard to push me. I don't want to lose it. I don't know if I'm ready."

"I know you're not ready, puppy." Namjoon cooed. "Take all the time you need, I'm not pushing. I just want to know."

" . . . Yes."

Namjoon readjusted the Collie to more of a laying position than a half-sitting one and stroked his hair until he fell asleep. 

* * *

When Namjoon came next, he had in tow two new people. 

"Tae, this is my friend Hoseok." He gestured to the smiley man behind him with soft dark brown hair, who waved. "And this is his new hybrid, Jimin."

The hybrid, a Netherlands Dwarf rabbit with fur matching the same soft orange of his hair, peered around his owner with crescent eyes and cheeks puffed up with a warm grin. His little ears were perked and attentive, so small and cute. 

Namjoon left them standing there, going to sit beside Taehyung and scratch affectionately behind his ears. Of course, the Collie, expression blank with curiosity at the newcomers, melted immediately into the touch and collapsed into the producer's lap. 

"Oh wow." Hoseok, who had gathered his courage first, knelt down a few paces away. "You really weren't kidding."

Taehyung, despite the warm tingles that Namjoon's fingers sent through his body, opened his eyes to stare at Hoseok questioningly. 

"No, I wasn't." Namjoon's voice had dropped an octave and the tone was soft and honeyed, filled with adoration. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

"Mmm-hmm." Jimin agreed, crouching beside his owner and peering curiously right back at the Collie. 

"Hoseok teaches dance on the weekends." Namjoon said, switching to petting. "His real job, though, is a firefighter."

Taehyung nodded, eyes flickering down to Jimin. "And you?"

"Oh, uh-" Jimin flushed. "I was adopted as a bunny by an elderly couple, but they couldn't take care of me during my cycles and they couldn't afford to find me a mate. They gave me up and I was adopted by another family. We were supposed to move houses, but they couldn't fit me in the car. They promised they'd come back . . . "

Hoseok wrapped an arm around his rabbit, kissing between his ears. "There was faulty wiring in the house and it caught fire over the two days Jimin was waiting. He'd been sleeping and the fire detectors didn't have any batteries. I found him unconscious and suffering from smoke inhilation on the floor of the living room."

"Oh, bunny." Taehyung cooed, sitting up. He stroked down the other hybrid's ear. "I'm sorry."

Jimin gave back a slightly watery smile. "It's okay. They weren't coming back for me and didn't come to claim me even after the hospital told them where I was. I've got Hoseok now. Even better, I'm not stuck in the house. I teach dance during the week when Hoseok's at work. It's better than anything I was dreaming of before."

Taehyung nodded, playing wiwth his ear a little bit more before laying back down on Namjoon's lap. "Still . . ."

"Well, what about you?" Jimin questioned back. "What did you do before?"

"I was a soldier."

"Wow!" Hoseok's smile got wider. "I can't imagine . . . That must have been terrifying."

"But you run into burning buildings for a living?"

Hoseok tutted. "That's different than facing down another army. It's unlikely I'll ever be killed by a fire. I can't imagine waking up every day knowing you're in a battlefield."

Taehyung giggled. "You're making it sound a lot more dramatic than it is."

"Then what was it like?"

"It was mostly walking through the desert." The Collie rolled onto his side to face them better. "I spent most of my time escorting supply caravans. I sniffed for bombs and fought off the occasional assailant looking to steal from the trucks."

Jimin shivered. "You're much braver than I am. I couldn't do that."

"His records are sealed now, but his commander was very upset to hear of his medical discharge."

They all turned towards the door to find Seokjin and Yoongi standing there. The doctor's grin was a little crooked, but the Rottweiler seemed pleased. 

Taehyung scrambled to his feet. "You spoke with Taekwoonie-hyung?"

Seokjin nodded. "And Hakyeon and Hongbin and Wonshik. They aren't allowed to talk to you because the initial assessment said you would likely snap at their voices and relapse. They call and ask about you, though. A lot."

Namjoon pulled the Collie back down into his lap just before he started to cry. 

* * *

It was weeks later when the door to Taehyung's room opened and a pair of combat boots walked in. 

He looked up from the mendalla colouring book Namjoon had bought him and his jaw hit the floor. "Bean?"

Hongbin's lips twitched up, but it was clear the Australian Shepard was struggling with his own emotions. His arm was fully mobile, it looked like, with only a light brace around the elbow. "Hey Tae."

He scrambled to his feet and lauched himself at his comrade. Hongbin hugged him right back, body trembling with pent up feelings. 

"We come all this way to see you and all you can do is cling to Hongbin? No fair."

Behind Hongbin were his fellow hybrids, the German Shepard Wonshik and the Great Dane Sanghyuk. Jaehwan, their turretman, Hakyeon and Taekwoon were standing off to the side as the other hybrids dog-piled their old friend. 

"What happened? How are you all here?" Taehyung squealed, laughing as Sanghyuk started to tickle him. 

"The comms ban was lifted." Taekwoon answered in his signature murmur. "Your doctor, Seokjin, I think, was very persuasive."

"So . . . So, we can see each other again?" He whimpered. 

Wonshik gave him a sloppy, playful kiss on the cheek. "Yes we can, puppy!"

Hakyeon sighed. "You're a dog too, Wonshik."

Wonshik pouted and Taehyung laughed so hard he cried. 

* * *

* * *

Jungkook sat in quiet awe as Taehyung finished talking. 

"That sounds like it was awful."

"Well, it wasn't great." Taehyung cocked his head, but his smile was pure and genuine and bright. "But I've definitely come out on top."

Jungkook threw himself on top of the Collie, hugging him around the waist. "Don't worry. I won't ever let you go."

The Collie stifled an enamoured coo. "Since my comrades retired, I've been training with them again. I won't let anything happen to you either, Kookie."

"I know you won't." Jungkook nuzzled into his mate. "You love Namjoonie-hyung and me too much."


End file.
